How to Stay Physically Fit at Home

One of the most difficult parts about exercise can be finding the time to do it. As more and more people around the country practice social distancing to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 and find themselves confined to their home, establishing a workout routine can be even more challenging. Here are some tips on how you can prioritize exercise and some recommended resources that can help you stay focused while at home.

Set a schedule

One of the most difficult parts of exercise is finding the time to do it. In our usual busy lives, these opportunities were often carved out for us naturally. A home quarantine means a much different work schedule while simultaneously balancing family and home responsibilities. Try to carve out set times during the week in which you prioritize exercise. This will help you prioritize a window of time where you are committed to physical activity similar to how you might operate if you were going to work on a daily basis. 

Incorporate variety

A common cause of overuse injuries is repeating the same motions over and over without enough rest or maintenance. Home workouts frequently focus on body weight exercises like squats and lunges or cardio equipment which are all straight-ahead linear activities and can be hard on the joints, especially the knees. To avoid common overuse injuries, try to mix in a day of yoga or pilates or a strength workout that rests the lower extremities. Also, make sure to find exercise that involves going side-to-side and backwards to use all of your muscles.

Find a team

The popularity of group-based exercise such as CrossFit and Orange Theory is heavily driven by the social factors that drive results. Having someone push you and hold you accountable can be very helpful. Whether it is in your house with your family or virtually with a network, try to set up a competition or group class to help motivate you to show up and improve.